Panto set to be one of biggest box office hits

Tickets are being quickly snapped up for this month’s pantomime at Whitby Pavilion – oh yes they are!

The town’s Apollo Players is staging its 41st annual pantomime at the theatre from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 January and tickets are selling like hot cakes.

Festive favourite Dick Whittington has all the traditional panto elements, with a few modern twists and a host of colourful characters.

The production boasts “tons of foot-tapping songs, plenty of audience participation and bags of laughter, dazzling costumes, stunning scenery and amazing special effects,” according to musical director Chris Wales.

He said: “We are well ahead of where we were last year in terms of ticket sales.

“From our point of view, as a community-based group, even in these hard times people still want to come and see a panto and it’s nice they want to come and support this sort of thing.

“We are proud of that and glad people still find them incredibly entertaining.

“It’s all going really well.”

More than 25 people aged between 12 and their mid 50s, all of whom are local, make up the cast of Dick Whittington and they have been rehearsing hard to make the show their best yet.

“People love a locally produced pantomime,” added Chris.

“It’s all about who’s on stage and who you know.

“There’s so much going on in the show.

“It’s looking like one of our biggest box offices ever.”

Tickets for Dick Whittington can be purchased in advance from a desk in Whitby Library in Windsor Terrace between 10am and 4pm or by calling the box office on (01947) 601724.

Seats for the opening night on 16 January at 7.15pm are priced at a special rate of just £4.

Tickets for performances which are on nightly at 7.15pm from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 are priced £7/£6.

For the matinee on Saturday 21 at 2.30pm, admission is £8/£7 but people are being urged to be quick, tickets for this particular show are almost sold out.